Dancehall legend Shabba Ranks loses trademarks for his monikers “Dancehall Emperor” and “Dancehall Empowerer (Grung)” according to documents obtained by World Music View.
The trademark for “DANCEHALL EMPEROR” was filed with the U.S. copyright office on July 3, 2017 was approved for publication and Rexton Gordon (Shabba Ranks) was contacted via email to submit a statement of use form.
That form was not filed by Gordon nor his representatives, and as a result it is rendered “Abandoned” by the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). The mark is currently open for anyone to register. It’s the third time Gordon has abandoned the mark after first filing for the trademark on May 5, 2007 and again for “DANCEHALL EMPEROR (GRUNG)” in 2012.
Shabba’s representatives applied for the mark in the category of “Entertainment, namely, live music concerts.”
It was also applied for internationally in the categories Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities. – Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities.
Incidentally the word “DANCEHALL” is registered in the US by a single individual (not Shabba) for use in multiple industries with over 100 uses including merchandise, Downloadable graphic art reproductions; Pre-recorded record albums featuring music; Audio and video recordings featuring music and artistic performances; Jackets for video cassettes; Musical recordings; Musical sound recordings; Musical video recordings; and much more. The same person also owns “Dancehall Records” and “Reggae’s Dancehall.”
“Dancehall Queen” is a registered trademarked for sandwiches by Atlanta based restaurant Slutty Vegan since December 2020.
The filing fee for a trademark application in the US is $250–$750 per class of goods and/or services. The fee is not refundable if your application is rejected, or abandoned.
Shabba Ranks is one of the most popular Dancehall artist in the world. During the 1990s Shabba Riefned supreme as a giant in the music industry after his two two studio albums, As Raw as Ever and X-tra Naked, won Grammy Awards as Best Reggae Album in 1992 and 1993, respectively. He is notoriously popular for pioneering the hardcore lover image with songs like “Mr. Loverman” and “Ting-A-Ling”, which were globally acclaimed and deemed his signature songs.
Shabba, 56 , brought several fashion trends to the mainstream including leather vest , multiple rings on multiple fingers and the ‘cut off foot’ pants.
The Grammy-winning deejay and style icon has inspired everyone from Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar to Asap Ferg who did a song Like Shabba Ranks to pay homage to his legendary status in fashion and music.
In 2017 GQ mistakenly credited Harry Styles for the ring finger trend when fans on social media reminded them of the Emperor’s trend-setting ways.
British GQ’s account tweeted, “Thanks to @Harry_Styles , wearing multiple rings is now a thing”. Jessibeng tweeted in résponse, “With how much Jamaican culture has impacted Britain you’d think they’d know better….. Laughs in Shabba”
After the backlash they tweeted, “(Apologies for the obtuse tweet on the weekend, naturally Harry Styles is just the latest to adopt this style.)”. They did not acknowledge Shabba’s contribution as the leader of the trend. Shabba also pioneered the half-high top hairstyle that other singers and rappers adopted in the 1990s. A style P. Diddy recently wore as he transitioned into Love.
Last year the deejay, whose full name is Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon, credited his deceased mother Constance Christie aka ‘Mama Christie’, for his development as an artist. Christie, the mother to seven children, passed away after a long battle with illness at 81 years old on February 23, 2021.
In a 5 minute tribute, Ranks started out by saying, “All I can tell unuh about this woman yah is just love, she nuh teach I nuh more than just love, she nuh give I nuttn more than love and the greatest weapon or the greatest machinery in order to I’ve life, and face life and defeat the struggle of life. My mother give me the blood of Jesus Christ me seh, you cyah survive, you cyah live without Jesus innah yuh life.”
Ranks declared that he is the product of God because his mother raised him in that manner.
Shabba Ranks has always declared the love he has for his mother and coined the now legendary slogan “Mama Christie Me luv you Muah Muah Muah”.
In 2012, when Shabba returned to Jamaica to perform at Reggae Sumfest, the first place he went after leaving the airport was his childhood community, Seaview Gardens, Kingston 11.
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